PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
A project manager is leading a global team with members in different time zones. The team is experiencing delays because some members are not responding to emails promptly. What is the best course of action to improve communication?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMI often tests the misconception that increasing meeting frequency or escalating issues is the default fix for communication delays, when the correct answer is to plan and document communication expectations upfront in a management plan.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a communication management plan with agreed-upon response times.
A communication management plan is the correct approach because it proactively defines expectations for response times, communication channels, and escalation paths, addressing the root cause of delays without imposing rigid schedules. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on planning communication to meet stakeholder needs, especially in distributed teams where asynchronous communication is common.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Create a communication management plan with agreed-upon response times.
Why this is correct
Creating a communication management plan is a proactive and foundational project management process that defines how, when, and by whom project information will be communicated. By explicitly agreeing upon response times within this plan, the project manager establishes clear expectations and protocols for information exchange, directly addressing and mitigating potential delays in a global team context. This structured approach fosters efficient and timely communication, crucial for distributed teams.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to functional managers.
Why it's wrong here
Escalating the issue to functional managers without first attempting to establish or refine internal project communication protocols is a premature and reactive measure. This approach fails to address the underlying systemic cause of communication delays, which often stems from undefined processes or unclear expectations within the project team itself. Such escalation can strain organizational relationships and may not lead to a sustainable solution for improving project communication efficiency.
- ✗
Require all members to work overlapping hours.
Why it's wrong here
Requiring all global team members to work overlapping hours, while seemingly beneficial for real-time collaboration, is often an impractical and unsustainable solution due to significant time zone differences. This mandate can lead to severe work-life balance issues, increased stress, and potential burnout for team members, ultimately decreasing morale and productivity. It disregards the feasibility and human factors inherent in managing a geographically dispersed workforce.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of status meetings.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing the frequency of status meetings primarily focuses on disseminating information and updating progress, but it does not directly resolve or improve the efficiency of day-to-day operational response times or asynchronous communication. Without specific guidelines on expected response times for inquiries or tasks outside of meetings, more frequent meetings can consume valuable project time without inherently accelerating critical information exchange or decision-making between scheduled sessions.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PMP question from scratch — 800 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PMP exam.